Blanket-holding device for cribs



-Jan. 8, 1924. 1,479,818

I M, KAHNE BLANKET HOLDING DEVICE FOR CRIBS Filed Dec. 13. 1922 mum gm Hill"!!! 3 Patented Jan. 8, 1924.

UNIT ED STATES PATENT;

MICHAEL KAI-INE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y;

BLANKE'l HOLDlNG DEVICE. roe caries.

Application filed DecemberIS, 1922. Serial No. 608,640%.

This invention relates to blanket holding devices to be used 1n connectlon with beds or cribs for holding the covers in a certaln' definite relation thereto. It is a'well known fact that children as a rule will kick off their bed coverings and this invention therefore has for its object to provide a device which will hold the'covers in place regardless of the attempts of the child to displace the same. 7

The invention is in the nature of an attachment that can be readily secured" to beds or cribs. Briefly stated the invention con'- sists of a frame in which is mounted a pair of oppositely disposed swinging members whose adjacent edges are adapted to meet in. a line preferably at one side of a plane passing tl' rough the axes of the members. Means are provided for yieldably holding the members in abutting relation and means are also provided for causing both of the members to move in unison in opposite directions.

Other objects and features of novelty of the invention will appear from-the detailed description thereof taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of the specification.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan'view of a portion-of a bed'showing the blanket holding device attached'thereto.

Fi 2 is a side elevation of the same showlng the gripping members in closed position.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2. v

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary diagrammatic perspective view of the salient features of the invention.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views.

10 indicates a frame in which is swingably mounted a pair of clamping members 11. The axes of these members are indicated by O and are shown consisting of spindles 12 which project from the ends of the members 11'. These axes areso arranged inparallel relationwith respect to theiiieinbers 11 that the adjacentfedg'es'of' the lat ter will meet in a line Q, to one side of a" The members 11 are so disposed with'respect' to the bed that they open outwardly away from the sides thereof thus! permitting the plane passing through these axes.

coverstobe readily slippedbetweenthe ad jacentedges K of the members after the cover has been drawn taut across the bed.

This arrangement insures that'the'cove'r or blanket C (Fig. 1) will be gripped only the more firmly between said edges when the covers are pulled in direction toswing" the members 11 into abutting relation.

The spindles 12 are provided with cranks 13 to the terminals of' which is connected a spring 14 whlch tends'to turn the cranksuntil' the adjacent edges of the members- These cranks are preferably so disposed with respect to the members 11' that when the latter are:

11 are in abutting relation.

fully open (Fig. 3) the cranks will pass their axes O with the result that" the said members will be impositively' and resiliently' held in open position (Fig.- 4). i

The members ll are' arra'ngedto open and close in unison by a mechanismwhich preferably consists of pinions 15 fixedon'the spindles 18 and an'oflj'set rack 16 which engages with these-pinions' at opposit'e'sides thereof. This rack is held to the pinions by means of parallel'gu'ides'17 and 18between which and the gears the'rack passes. While I prefer to use a rack and pinion engagement for accomplishing the opposite rotation of themembers 11, it will bereadily apparent thatother contrivances may be used for accomplishing the same result without departing from the spirit of? my invention.

- he guides 18- may also serve as brackets for maintaining the upper and lower members a and b of the frame 10 in spaced relation. For supporting the spindles 12 in spaced relation, pedestals 19 extending between the members a and b may be provided at each end of the frame as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. But as shown in Fig. 5 the spindle supports may take the form of brackets 19 extending from the frame mem bers a and b.

In order to provide for the securement of the holding means to a bed or crib the ends of the frame 10 are provided with suitable securing means. These means may take the form of hinged U-shaped straps 20 or other suitable means indicated by 21 in Fig. 5. The securing means enables ready attachment of the frame to the corner posts P of the bed B, it being understood that the strap 20 is suitably locked in position.

When the members 11 are in open position as shown in ,Fig. 3 the normally adjacent edges K of the members he against one edge of the frame members a and b, and are held in that position by the spring 1 1. I therefore provide finger-receiving notches N in the upper and lowerframe members to permit the operators fingers to be closed over the edges of the members 11 to turn them until the cranks are past dead center after which the spring 14 will continue the turning movement.

The members 11 have been shown in the form of shutter-like boards but the invention is not limited to such construction. If

found desirable the members 11 may be formed from wire rod bent as shown in Fig. 3 to form the cranks 13.

- The crank and rack-and-pinion mechanism may be incor orated at both ends of the members 11. uch duplication is desirable where the distance between the ends of members 11 is comparatively great. Firm gripping action at both ends of the members llis thus more readily obtained.

Flexing of the members 11 may also be prevented by providing supplementary spindle supports 25 at intervals along the axial length of the members. It will also be understood that the holding means will be provided at each side of the bed whereby both sides of the bed cover may be held in place.

It will be further understood that while I have shown two shutter like members 11 for gripping the bed clothes, that the invention may be practised with the use of a single shutter. That is to say instead of both of the edges K being relatively movable with respect to the frame, only one of such edges need be so movable. The edge K of the movable Shutter will then react with the fixed edge or frame, in which it is mounted to grip the blanket or cover. When the single shutter or clamping member is used the isrrasis rack-and-pinion gear may of course be dis pensed with. It will also be understood that while I have shown the pinion member 14 as being connected to cranks 13 that other means may be employed in lieu thereof. For example, an expansion spring reacting against fiat faces, projecting from the spindle would serve the same purpose.

lVhile I have described the invention in great detail, I intend no limitation thereon, other than those imposed by the appended claims.

What I claim is 1. In a clamping means, the combination with a frame, of a pair of oppositely directed members mounted therein to swing about parallel axes which are near enough to permit adjacent edges of said members to meet, means connected to the said members to cause them to move in unison in opposite directions, cranks connected to said members and adapted to have their terminals shifted from one side to the other of the said axes, and a retractile spring connected to the cranks.

2. In a clamping means, the combination with a frame, of a pair of oppositely directed members mounted therein to swing about parallel axes which are near enough to permit adjacent edges of said members to meet, cranks connectedto the said members and adapted to have their terminals shifted from one side to the other of a plane passing through the crank axes, a retractile spring connected to the cranks, pinions carried by said members, and means cooperating with the pinions to cause them to turn in unison in opposite directions.

3. In a clamping means, the combination with a frame, of a pair of oppositely directed members mounted therein to swing about parallel axes which are near enough to permit adjacent edges of said members to meet, means connected to the said members to cause them to move in unison in opposite directions, and means adapted to yieldably maintain the edges of the members in clamping or separated relation. 1

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 9th day of December, 1922.

MICHAEL KAHNE. 

